Martin, BON LOUIS HENRI, a great French historian, was born at St-Quentin, 20th February 1810, and educated for a notary, but already at twenty had determined for a literary career. His first book was an historical romance, Wolffthurn (1830), followed by three others treating of the period of the Fronde. He next joined Paul Lacroix, the 'Bibliophile Jacob,' in his vast project for a history of France in 48 volumes, consisting of extracts from histories and chronicles from the earliest period to 1830. He published the first volume in 1833, and henceforward toiled alone at the vast undertaking, which was completed on a smaller scale in 1836. He now set himself to a still more gigantic task, his great Histoire de France (15 vols. 1833-36). A third and much improved edition (19 vols. 1837-54) earned the Gobert prize; the fourth edition (17 vols. 1855-60) was awarded by the Institute in 1869 the great prize of 20,000 francs. This magnificent work comes down only to 1789; its continuation to the author's own time formed the less admirable Histoire de France Moderne (2d ed. 5 vols. 1878-85). Martin acted for a time as maire of one of the arrondissements of Paris; and was chosen deputy for Aisne in 1871, senator in 1876. He was elected a member of the French Academy in 1878. He wrote several minor histories, such as the Histoire de Soissons (1837), Daniel Manin (1859), Jeanne d'Arc (1872); and died at Paris, 14th December 1883. Martin was the last of the giants of French history influenced by Augustin Thierry, who aimed at comprehending the whole field within their range of study. As sensitive to the romantic as Michelet, he kept his imagination in check by the weight of his learning, the solidity of his sense, and by due respect to documents. Only in his treatment of the earlier period did he give free play to his fancy in his reconstruction of a history of Gaul, in which Druidism was discovered to be a sublime religion, with Merlin as its prophet, and medieval chivalry but its legitimate outcome. Yet his study of Celtic antiquities contains much that will remain of the highest value. The whole work reveals impartiality and insight, is excellently arranged, and admirably written—the work of a true patriot, and if a Chauvinist, a Chauvinist of genius. It is beyond doubt the best work dealing in detail with the history of France as a whole.
See the Life by Hanotaux (1885), Mulot's Souvenirs Intimes (1885), and Jules Simon's Mignet, Michelet, Henri Martin (1889).